


Anything

by alice_dualswordlesbian



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humour, Gaming, Slight gender dysphoria, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Validation, do you want the corniest thing you've seen all transdori week? here you mcfuckin go!, picnic dates, the famed estradiol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26689327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alice_dualswordlesbian/pseuds/alice_dualswordlesbian
Summary: (CW: Gender dysphoria and internalised transphobia in one scene)Ako has a plan. Like the witches of old, she'll conduct the most magical of gatherings!...For reasons she'll figure out later.
Relationships: Hikawa Sayo/Yamato Maya, Shirokane Rinko/Udagawa Ako, i just like them - Relationship, minor parechu, very light ayaran teasing too but its miniscule
Comments: 12
Kudos: 39





	Anything

**Author's Note:**

> And you're all invited too!

She wakes up.

... **RISE** does the Devil of Darkness from her bed, her purple frays cutting through the blue morning light. Even in "yawwwwn" the ends of her SLUMBER doth she carry her imposing... aura...! Um, her soft, ebon pajamas furl like the embracing wings of their crafter, imbuing her with an...

...an unholy, um...

...Oh, darn. There's too much gaming in her head and not enough of Rinrin's vocabulary!

Ako rockets out of her skull-patterned bed and dumps most of her drowsiness behind with it, grabbing her phone and aiming a demonic cupid's arrow to her dark betrothed... uh, in the form of a text message.

She fires!

Waiting to see if it'll land, Ako skips past her scattered copies of Hades and DMC5 Special Edition, heading over to the wardrobe. She throws it open, ready to ponder her demonic choice of clothing- ...eh, pondering's too much effort, actually. Let's pick something at random again and tailor a cool outfit around it-

**WAIT!**

She stops. R-right... this isn't any ordinary day, Ako! This is the fated day of darkness! She's planned for a most unholy convening. Can't show up looking like a fool...

...Oouurrggghh, she's already feeling antsy about it again. 

B-but no matter! She must take a look at the text she sent to the Girls' Band Party chat yesterday; that's a mandatory quest! Shaking just the slightest bit, Ako gulps and opens the group chat on her phone:

CALLING UPON ALL DARK WALKERS

This message is a secret surprise of daring doom... a sanctimonious gathering of a sanctuary! To any of thee whom have transed your gender, YOU are a most welcome invitee!!!! For I, alongside the Goetia-dispelling Guitarist of Roselia, shall be holding a gathering... specifically meant as a haven for all those like us!

If you are interested in meeting those of your kin and discussing the most nefarious of, uh. Transgender feelings!!!! (sorry, rinrin couldnt help me word that one ;;) Then come to Hazawa Coffee at 4pm tomorrow, the cusp of the weekend's end, and we shall greet you with a banquest most euphoric and joyous!!!!

-

P.S. there'll be cake!!! and hot chocolate!!! also this is top secret!!!!!!!!!

Oooooo... have there been any replies since? Let's see...

...oh, Sayo added something!

Banquet*, not Banquest. Also, you will NOT have both hot chocolate and cake today. I'm going to speak with you about your dietary habits later, Ako.

Blehggggggggfdghhhh. Okay, anyone else? There's one from Tsugumi...

Just to confirm what Ako said, I'm gonna let her host this, uh... meeting? That's what Sayo described it as...

I spoke with Mom and Dad about it, and they gave the okay. 4pm's the time. I promise our shop'll be a safe space for all of you!

...but nobody else has responded.

I mean, she DID say it was top secret, so maybe the invitation's been, uh. Implicitly accepted. But if the only people who show up're her, Sayo and Ran, then it'll be less of a gender euphoria summoning circle and more of a vocabulary homework corner. Blegh!

W-well, whatever. It'll be fine! She can always swerve the topic to something cooler than homework, anyway. 

_Bdum!_

Oh, Rinrin replied to her text~!

Good luck today, Ako ｷﾀ━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━!

"...Ehehe."

It appears the cupid's arrow has struck her back. She can feel magic running through her soul...!

Right! Let's create an outfit befitting of the power she'll receive from this unholy gathering! She peruses her closet, hurtling through her garments...

"...Hmmmmm."

...

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm."

...Ehhhhh, she doesn't need to think THAT hard! Let's just go with the comfy striped shirt! And the skirt that's half... tartan, was it? Yeah!!! It's so comfy~! How can she not wear it?

"Fwahaha..."

These clothes're so good. Rinrin makes stuff that's both comfy AND demonic! Look at it flow and flutter in her (self-created) dramatic wind! It'll let her crush the rest of her morning routine! 

Time to venture into daylight's welcome, and prepare for the many great trials and shopping bargains ahead! For her schedule before the appointed time at Hazawa Coffee, she'll want to be at full HP and MP-

Oh, but first!!!!!!

She can't ever forget. 

Walking over to her bedside desk, she opens a couple of miniature cardboard boxes and pops out two pills of different colours. Her witch's ingredients. They're a recent addition to her magical schemes; a daily ritual of sorts, much like that of her abyssal razor. She puts them into her mouth and-

...w-wait, she needs water to swallow these! Water, water! To the tap, immediately...!

Throwing open the door, Ako Udagawa begins her day.

\---

She wakes up.

She dreamt of pink, layers of luscious pink. Her back lied upon a bed of clouds, welcoming her to her very own castle; a cloudy expanse, running love as far as the eye can see, embracing her. 

But when she opens her eyes, there's a few bangs of black covering that heaven.

"Yawn..."

...Still. It's nice that her room can be like this. Even during the small moments when she's not.

The covers are pushed away. She can feel her frame tower over the bed as she ruffles the back of her short dark hair. Being in a band has helped her get up early and keep a solid routine. And she's grateful for it; after all, she's not suited to be a sleeping beauty. Not with this appearance. There's something better waiting for her... and today it's beckoning more than ever!

Energy fills her. Throwing her drowsiness away, she rushes over to the candy-coloured wig on the other side of the room, grasping it with both hands. It fills her with a soft, serene smile. "I'll be right back."

Routine! First off... she absolutely _must_ greet her Pastel*Palettes plushies, one by one, every single morning! "Morning, Aya~! Good morning, Chisato. Mornin', Hina☆! Greetings, Eve! Good morning, Maya!" 

Then, the clothing. She's going on an outing with her beloved idols, AND heading to Miss Ako's meeting afterwards, so she'll most certainly bring her best; the very angel-winged shirt and pastel skirt that awakened her. After a quick brush of her teeth and a shave, she puts them right on and does a motioned, regal, just-perfectly-cute-enough curtsy. It feels oddly refreshing to do today! She can even look at her own face in the mirror... it's like knowing what it'll become is invigorating enough to bear seeing it. 

Next! Bracelets, check. Knee-high socks, check... hm. Red contacts? How about pink today, instead? You can never have enough pink, after all... oh, and how about...

...Perfect! Delightful! Excellent, as Madam CHU2 would say!

With everything at the ready, she turns back to the wig, sitting across the room. She takes two steps, quietly nods... 

...and lets a fanciful breeze in her mind fuel her.

Her bangs become as pink as the ceiling they look up at. It's the frontline colour she prefers.

PAREO's ready now. Dangling a set of 5 keyrings on her bag, she smiles and asks; "Shall we depart?"

'Haven't you forgotten something?'

"Oh!" She squishes the little Maya keyring. "You're absolutely right!"

She can't ever forget. 

Walking over to her bedside desk, she opens a miniature cardboard box, ebon in colour and painted with a logo displaying cat-eared headphones. It wasn't easy getting this; normally, no doctor would look at someone her age and say she understands the consequences. 

But of course she does. There's only one person she wants to be. And she's forever grateful to her guiding light, her lovely little Madam CHU2... for helping her find it.

Without any hesitation, she smiles, fetches a water bottle from her handbag and swallows the pill down.

Gracefully opening the door, PAREO begins her day.

\---

She wakes up.

...It's bright...

...Agh, sheesh. Her eyes sting. Is the Sun firing laser beams into peoples' faces now? If she wasn't using the windowsill for flowers, she'd get a curtain for the thing already... 

...Where's her phone? Ah, there. Let's check the time...

...Huh. She's up a lot earlier than usual.

Against a background of softly intense yellow, whose spring rays fall upon the dust in the air, Ran shuffles and stretches out of her red duvet. First things first; she takes a sip of water from the glass near her bed, lifts the apple in her throat and hums a few notes. It's an exercise Minato gave her... she won't admit this to anyone else, but she feels powerful when she does it. Like this is what she wants from her voice.

...Oh yeah. Today's _that_ day, isn't it? Ako's little thing. 

She opens the Girls' Band chat on her phone and glances briefly at the log of messages she left on read. 4pm... right. Well, Ako's meetup is probably gonna be pretty casual, so Ran can just rock her usual style. She may as well show up, right? There's a bunch of people she's curious about asking things to... 

...Well, if she can. No guarantee she won't mess it up when she tries. But hey, Ako's loud and chatty enough that she can hide behind her if things get awkward, right? It's like having a tinier Tomoe as a shield.

Heh. This is probably the time those two Udagawa goblins usually wake up. Nobody else would have that kind of energy. The thought of, say, Himari, trying to give herself an early start is pretty funny-

Uh, right. Routine. Whoops... let's shave, brush, then eat.

She shakes off the drowsiness (for real this time) and changes into a crimson-scarred jacket, wearing a plain shirt and ripped jeans beneath. It'll say as much as it needs to; that's the style she prefers.

Time to go.

Walking over to her bedside desk, she takes the glass of water with her. The only other object on the desk is a potted branch holding an apple blossom.

Moving her door aside, Ran Mitake begins her day.

\---

She wakes up.

...There's a burgeoning question in her mind as she shoots up from her covers:

Has she ever heard an ESP M-II and a Les Paul play in the same room?

Look, it's just something that occurred to her when she went to sleep, okay? She's not convinced she ever has. For all she knows, their sound could play off each other REALLY well with the right setup! One lead and one backing, or hell, maybe a duet... hm...

...W-well.

It, uh. It wouldn't HURT to ask Sayo and Ran to bring their guitars to Ako's meeting, would it? S-she's just idly curious, is all! And maybe Hazawa Coffee wouldn't mind the impromptu duet! "Huehehe-"

-O-o-o-o-okay, nevermind! Time and place, Maya. She should just ask Afterglow and Roselia when they're booking Circle. You can't rig up a line of pedals in a cafe, after all. Although... if she brought some drums, and Tsugumi got her keyboard, then they'd have a band on their hands! Sure, they'd be missing a bass, buuuuut nobody's saying a keyboard or guitar can't try their hand at the supporting role-

-Wait. If today's Sunday... then that also means...

_"...Oh, crap."_

Ohhhh, CRAAAAAAAAP!

She's got a photoshoot in an hour! She can't be daydreaming right now! Maya rockets up from the bed in an instant; "aaaaaagggh, and after that, I've got karaoke with Aya and PAREO, and then the d-d-date with Sayo... I can't be late for any of this!!!"

Gah, why did she have to oversleep today of all days?! C'mon Maya, c'mon, speed it up; go and grab a couple veggie sticks for breakfast, that'll be enough so long as you pick up something at the cafe they've got near the photoshoot place... OK, and for clothing, here's a comfy plain top, here's a comfy pair of pants, and here's a comfy hat! Perfect! Fashion be damned, else she'll be late!

Let's skedaddle!

Stumbling over to her bedside desk, she fumbles out two pills from a set of miniature cardboard boxes, carries them over to the sink, swallows them down with water, and then does what she's pretty certain is a world record for the fastest shaving routine.

Hurriedly chucking open the door (and gently shutting it behind her), Maya Yamato begins her day.

\---

She wakes up.

"Boppin!!!!!"

If there's anything that makes her groggier than the morning sun, it's the duo of the morning sun and Hina's ecstatic yells from the room over. Her sister has no indoor voice...

...Regardless. She'll be damned if she lets her morning grogginess be more of a constant in her life then getting over it. She's casting off these devilish covers... whether.... "yawwwwwwwwwwnnn" she LIKES it or not...

...There we go.

Sayo folds her duvet and stands up, wasting no time in getting through her schedule. You don't just write a plan and then slack on executing it; she needs her 10 minutes every day to brush her hair, else her appearance will reflect an intolerable sloppiness.

Is it... strange that undoing the fuzz and looking at her hair's length gives her a sense of pride? It's a rather trivial matter, she'd think...

...An idle thought. Sayo discards it, using her epilator and washing her face before walking back into her room.

Right; let's find something modest and appropriate for today's outing. Her blue shirt-dress is a typical standby, but what about- 

...No. This is all she needs. There's no need to contemplate style as long as it's practical...

...although...

...to be honest, she does get a strange kind of rush from co-ordinating an outfit.

God knows she's no Lisa at it, but... she has the time to try it out now. It wouldn't hurt. And the prospect of being complimented for what she's wearing is an alluring one, much to her chagrin. Maya's interest in fashion may only extend as far as her collection of incredible t-shirts, but that doesn't mean she'd dislike seeing Sayo in something... w-well...

...s-striking?

Gah. Fine. Let's see... how about this blouse? It's short-sleeved, frilled and doesn't look like it'd get in the way of playing guitar. If she'd dare say so, it looks rather nice. Let's find an appropriate pair of trousers, and... yes, she'll accept this. It doesn't sacrifice practicality, so she'll take the euphoric sensation as a bonus. Perhaps a necklace too; she can always remove it while she's playing, anyway. 

This is some strange flight of fancy, no doubt. As she puts the outfit on and looks at herself in the mirror, she can feel her cheeks growing red. She rubs them, hoping she'll be able to hide the embarrassment before Hina can notice and mercilessly start teasing her.

Right. No more time to waste.

Walking to her bedside desk, she takes two pills from a set of miniature cardboard boxes and a glass of water down with her.

Opening and closing the door, Sayo Hikawa begins her day.

\---

...

...

"...Zzzzzzzzzzz... snore..."

It's so comfy...

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz."..

No, Hina... perfume is not an instrument...

...Chisato, that tickles... let Eve hug me in peace...

Eve's so comfy...

She's like a big, comfy duvet...

...

.

_...Wait a second._

Aya blinks.

"Oh god."

...THAT'S NOT EVE HUGGING HER!

Oh gosh, she's awake, she's awake; let's check what time it is- aaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA "H-how did I oversleep this badly?! Oh my god!" 

She sends her duvet flying and spills several plushies onto the floor trying to get up. Let's stay calm, Aya! Stay calm and approach this with a smile... give your mirror the best smile you've got!

...Gah, that looks terrifying!

Okay, forget it, her smile'll be better when she's not in distress. Let's just get through the routine! If she hurries, she can still make it to karaoke on time; god, she's so glad she doesn't have any work today! ...Wait, but what should she wear? And does she have time for makeup? Okay, no, that's impossible... one way or another, she's gonna look like a mess. M-maybe she can just sell it as part of her charm? 

...Okay, no, come on, she can do better than that! Let's get some concealer, at least! Hurry hurry hurry!!!

Teeth brushed! Wig brushed (still a bit of a mess)! Face clean! Makeup on! Okay, clothes... pink? Pink! Let's go with that! Pink is always good- ooooohhh, but this dress looks so nice... d-does red and white suit her?? The jacket's not a very strong red, so it could be fine... okay, let's grab them! Now, skirt, skirt, skirt... ah, here we go! It's 'beige', whatever, that's fine; people say it's the person who makes the clothes cute, right??? She'll be fiiiiiiine!

"I'm Pastel*Palettes' prebby- I mean, _pretty_ pink charm, Aya! Hehe~."

Clothes, done, ego-boosting mic check, done, posing practice, done; okay, let's head out! Hauling up her bag, she-

Oh, waitwaitwaitwait! She can't forget the most important part!

Skipping over to her bedside desk, she takes two pills from a set of miniature cardboard boxes, and swallows them down using the glass of water-

...

...

...Uh. 

One of those... wasn't estradiol.

She looks at the boxes. One says 'Spironolactone', and the other says...

............

...........................Ibuprofen.

...

...She slowly picks up the box next to those two, quietly takes a pill from it, and swallows it down. Then, she opens the door.

Trying not to cry, Aya Maruyama begins her day.

\---

" _This one!_ "

She's found it. 

Even in this store purposed for the ebon and the emo, this article exudes a tempting edge. Ako grins at her companions and points at the garment fit for a demonic queen; a most glorious, lengthy violet dress that twinkles in the night with blackened frills and... uh, stardust light! "What do you think? I can even wear this to the meeting!"

"It's a tripping hazard. The servers at Hazawa Coffee could easily slip on it."

She guffaws, staring at her frequent bane (aka older sister number 2). "C'mon! Wouldn't I look really cool in it?! I'm a big girl now, y'know; I can handle a bigger dress!"

"Well..." Rinko murmurs, "You'd look lovely, but..."

"If you ARE a 'big girl', then you'll be mature enough not to run the risk of breaking anyone's nose." Sayo folds her arms. "Tsugumi was kind enough to lend you her cafe as a discussion space. You should be appropriately respectful in turn."

"Boooooo! Fiiiiiine, I get it." Physics are a curse to the Demon Princess. "I can still buy it though, right?"

"Check the price tag."

She does.

She instantly dies upon seeing it. "Are you kidding?! I can't afford that!"

"I'm not surprised," Sayo says. "This dress is extremely intricate. It looks like it's meant for a ball."

"Sorry, Ako... if you want, though, I can always sew us a matching pair."

M-

M-m-match-

M-m-matching ball gowns w-w-w-w-with RINRIN?! "For real?! Are you sure?!"

"Y-yeah. I... don't know if we'll ever go to a ball... but just in case, they might be nice to have," Rinrin says. "I don't think I'd feel safe at a ball unless someone came with me, anyway..."

"Then if you ever wanna wear a fancy ball dress, just lemme know!" Ako gleams, "We can even hold our own ball!"

There's a cough. "If you two are finished, we should sort out any remaining purchases. Did you not say you were going to meet Ran soon?"

"Oh, darn." Sayo's right! "I can't miss out on my fight with her!"

"...Fight?"

Rinrin nods. "Do you... want to get anything else, Ako?"

"Hm... nah, I'm fine with just these!" 

Ako shows the selection of dark armaments she found earlier. "Skull hairclips?" Sayo frowns. "And... you're buying 7 pairs?"

"They're all in different colours!" Her voice booms; "Each contains a different element, suited for a variety of my, um... dark rituals!"

A sigh. "...Are you even going to use all of them?"

"Well... it's nice to have different colours... in case they happen to fit an outfit..."

"Yeah, yeah! What Rinrin said!" Ako proudly billows her imaginary cape. "These chaos-imbued swords of carnage carry all the potential powers of my true feminine form!"

"But they're just hairclips."

Foolish, Sayo. Foolish.

The team heads to the cashier, wandering through the black carpet of the store with wallpapers carrying bats and lightning bolts on either side. Ako wisely elects to ignore her wannabe mom's prattlings as they check out on their purchases. 

"Thanks for coming here with me, Rinrin!" She grins at her beloved girlfriend as she hits the exit. "I feel a lot safer in clothing stores when you're around. You're a ward of, um, power!"

"...And I'm not?"

"Hey! I heard that!" Ako says. "Well, of course you're cool and protective and mysterious, Sayo. But you and I are in the same boat, so I was thinking you'd also feel safer to shop if Rinrin was here!"

Sayo blushes upon hearing that. Bullseye! Looks like Demon Princess Ako was right on the money. She even gets to hear a cute chuckle from Rinrin as a result; she's completing lots of quests today. It's all building up her dark power for the fated gathering later!

"Me n' Rinrin are gonna go to the arcade now!" She says. "Are you heading off, Sayo?"

"...I'll stay with you for just a bit longer," Sayo responds. "You mentioned getting into a fight with Ran. I hope that doesn't mean what I think it means."

"Fu-fu-fu. Why not come with us and find out?"

"Um, it's okay, Sayo..." Rinrin says. "It's not... that kind of fighting."

Oho. That expression; perhaps the mythril wolf understands now! Perhaps she, too, knows of the boiling blood and the midnight train. "I see. So, you mean you're heading to the arcade because...?"

The Demon Princess nods. "Precisely!"

\---

She's found it.

It'll fit like a glove. "PAREO, over here!" Aya sings. "Look at these!"

PAREO skips to her location and leans over her side, looking at what she's just picked up. "Are those... angel wing earrings? They're delightful!"

"I was thinking they'd suit you perfectly!" She winks. "They're clip-on too, so you don't need piercings for them! Want me to buy them for you?"

"Wh-" Hehe. She's adorable! "N-n-n-n-n-no, I couldn't, Miss Aya! That'd be too kind! Y-you don't need to play favorites with your fans..."

"You're my friend now! Not just my fan. And I'll have you know I'm a fan of you too!"

Wow. She might've broken PAREO.exe. That's a really loud yell, even when muffled... 

"Oh my god, Aya's going to buy me something!" PAREO blinks and shakes her head 3 million times. "U-um, Miss Aya, how about we make a trade?! I'll buy you something nice too!"

"Ehehe. That sounds great!"

Hopefully this doesn't feed her ego too much. Seeing someone act this delighted to be around her is k-kinda amazing. She's the girl on TV other girls want to be... pretty in pink, and everyone knows it...

...O-o-o-okay, don't daydream too much about that idea! Hehe.

"Miss Aya, are you okay? You look lost in thought."

"Ah!" She wipes the grin off her face. Act cool, be natural! "Yeah, I'm okay. Did you find anything?"

"I thought this blouse would be wonderful on you!" Pareo holds the item out, and- 

-whoa... 

"The pattern's lovely, don't you think? It'd match your jacket perfectly."

"R-really? Can I try it out?"

"Of course!"

A visit to the fitting room later, and her suspicions get confirmed; PAREO... might be wayyyy better at fashion than she is. Like, Lisa-level good. And Lisa's the one who helped her with her first girl outfit! PAREO's got such a distinct, pastelly style too... it makes her feel jealous!

Well, guess she can't complain if she's getting helped twice. And PAREO's a unique kind of help; it's especially comforting to have other trans girls pick out clothes for you! "Tada," Aya sings, walking out of the curtain. "What do you think?"

"You look beautiful!" PAREO does a short bow. "...You're fearless, Miss Aya. I get a little antsy using the girls' fitting rooms."

"Then have as much of my courage as you like," she responds. "It's the least I can do for this blouse you got me!"

She gets another delighted squee as her reward, and decides today's already worth it.

"Let's check out, PAREO! We shouldn't keep Maya waiting too long."

"R-right! After you, Miss-" A pause. "Is... i-is it okay if I just call you Aya?"

She giggles. "Of course! You're my friend, after all."

"G-g-got it! Let's, um... let's go, Aya!"

\---

**_S L A S H_ **

A blade cuts through the peaceful scenery, all BA-BUM! and going through space and everything! And she wins! "Woohoo! Fwahahaha!" Her crimson eyes gleam, taunting her red-streaked foe. "How was that, Ran Mitake? My infernal powers have been honed!"

"...Good job, Ako...!"

"Switching characters and spamming DP... that's a Moca strategy right there," Ran grumbles. "Why does she have to make this game hell for me?"

"It's a parry, not a DP!" Ako poses. "And I'M the one who beat you here, my fell friend! Moca just gave me a bit of advice~."

"Then we're even. Good on you." Ran smiles. "...Up for one more?"

"You bet!"

The character select screen rolls back into motion, but only for a second; they quickly decide they'd rather repeat the same matchu-

"Hold on. Go back to the previous menu."

They freeze. "W-what's up?" Ako dares ask.

"Scroll over to that character," Sayo points. "Three spaces to the right."

"Okay." She does just that. "Why, though? Do you want me to pick-"

"What on earth is going on with her outfit?"

.

...Ah "U-Um,"

"Who designed this character?" Sayo frowns. "Do these developers have any idea what a woman looks like?"

Oh, phew. For a second, she thought she was going to be called a creep... 

"Um... there's... some questionable designs in this game..." Rinko says. "But some of them are nice too."

"Is that so." Sayo sighs. "Well, I hope one day we can have a larger selection of... tasteful games."

"...Yeah... me too..."

"Don't bring that up around Moca," Ran says. "The last time I made a comment like that, she called me titty-phobic."

"Do NOT use that word around Ako."

Ran snorts.

"This is no lau- ...never mind. I'm losing focus."

"It's okay, Sayo!" Ako waves her hand. "Tomoe said I shouldn't use that word yet either. I'll ignore Ran!"

"Good." 

Sayo turns around and starts heading out. 

"I have an... event, that I must attend now. I'll see you later."

Eh?! 

Hold on, she hasn't heard anything about this! Ako immediately steps off from the arcade cabinet and bounces towards her companion wolf; "What kind of event? Tell me, tell me!"

"I-it's nothing important."

Wait. Is Sayo... blushing?

"P-please don't look at me like that. I'll answer later if I must," Sayo mumbles. "Enjoy yourselves. And make sure you don't play for too long."

"Fufu. You too, Sayo."

"Do you know what she's up to, Rinrin?" Ako darts her head between the two. "No fair! Don't leave me out! ...You're still coming to the fabled gathering later, right Sayo?"

"Of course."

"Whew!" She was a little worried Sayo wouldn't, to be honest. "See you later, then! The dark lord will await you!"

Ran coughs. "Are we gonna have that rematch, or what?"

Gah! She forgot about her nemesis! "Y-you bet!" Immediately, Ako runs back to her fightstick. "Bring it on, Ran Mitake!"

"You're going down this time."

"...Fufufu... good luck, Ako..."

\---

" _That time, I was, able to, gather my, wishes and jump up,  
Because, of your, words of encouragement!_"

At that last word, she throws out her hand together with Aya and Maya, painting the karaoke room with as many flowers as there are in her heart. She's gotten to sing with two of Pastel*Palettes' members... it's a dream come true! She could go to heaven right now!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aya sends a heart-throbbing wink her way. "That was so much fun!"

"Huhehe... that was great!" Maya cackles. "A cross-band performance! PAREO, your singing voice is really stable!"

"E-eh?!?!??! That's high praise from you, Miss Maya! Um, I m-mean, Maya!" She stammers, oh god they're so nice "A-a-and thank you for playing some of RAS's songs, too! I loved singing them with you!"

"Sorry if I sounded weird during R.I.O.T.," Aya says. "I'm not used to going that low..."

That's okay; once upon a time, neither was she. "You sounded lovely, Aya!"

"R-really?" Aya grins. "Thank you, PAREO! Maya definitely sounded better, though. I had no idea you could make your voice so strong!"

"Aw, it's nothing special, honestly. I just, uh. Get REALLY into the songs I listen to."

That's the kind of indulgence that makes Maya so good! "What if I asked to make a karaoke bar at Madam CHU2's studio? We have the microphones for it..."

"That studio doubles as her house, right? I kinda like the idea of having a karaoke room at home."

"Ooooooheueuhee... with the professional microphones RAS's studio has, you could make an amazing one!" Maya gleams. "Imagine a place like this but with an audio mixer. You could belt out lyrics that'd rumble through everyone's spines, all from your living quarters!"

Ooooh, this is sounding delightful! "And with our soundproofing, we wouldn't have to worry about noise complaints either~!"

"...Um... what's an audio mixer, again?"

"Huhehe. I'm pretty jealous. My family gets a lot of noise complaints, even when I'm not practicing the drums. Sometimes the neighbours get angry just because I'm recording samples or testing an effects chain with Sayo."

"...Effects chain? Samples...?"

"You could always visit our studio sometime if you wanted to!"

"REALLY?!"

Are you kidding?! Maya Yamato visiting RAS?! It'd be amazing! "You can visit any time you want! You'll just need to call Madam CHU2 in advance. I'm sure she'd love to inquire about your musical expertise!"

"...Um..."

"Oh my god! This is the best opportunity of my life!" Maya rockets up. "There's so much good equipment in there! W-would it be okay if I tested it all? I'd love to discuss Chu2's tastes with her... and I can feel all those microphones calling to me!"

"Um..."

"Oh! Sorry, I probably don't look very professional right now. Just let me know if you'd like to have me around."

"It's alright! That passion of yours is an inspiration to me, honestly," she bows. "And I'd love for RAS and Pastel*Palettes to befriend each other more."

"O-o-o-oh! Me too!" Aya suddenly yells. "T-t-t-that'd be great! Let's hang out with RAS sometime, Maya! ...Because I'm not as smart as I thought I was..."

Strange. She got a bit quieter at the end! "What did you say, Aya?"

"O-oh, it's nothing! I'm just curious about all this microphone equipment stuff too."

"Are you?! Huehehe! I'd love to tell you more sometime; there's some amazing things we can-"

Maya stops ice-cold, mid-sentence.

"-Um... what's the time?"

PAREO looks at her wristwatch. "Ah, it's about 1:15pm."

"Oh, crap!" Maya's jaw drops. "I can't be late to seeing her!"

"H-her?"

"Who's her?"

"U-u-u-u-um! Well! Uhhhh!" S-she's very intent on hiding it, isn't she?! "I'll tell you guys another time! I gotta go now, sorry!!!!"

Maya throws the door open.

"See you later! Thanks for the hangoutttttttttttttttttttttttttt"

And so her voice fades away. Oh, Maya... that emotion and energy of yours is incredible~!

"Hey, PAREO. If you've got the free time," Aya smiles, "How about we do a couple more songs?"

YES "W-would that be okay?"

"It's been fun! ...Maybe because Chisato and Hina aren't here to bully me."

"Then let's continue~!" PAREO smiles. "Oh, can I make a request?"

"Go ahead! What were you thinking of?"

"Well..."

Suddenly, the door flies open again. "Boppin☆!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

\---

The breeze is calm on the ears.

Spring post-sakura brings a quaint, quietened luster to the parkside, rows of unassuming trees decorating the curving path. A few chirping birds can be heard scattering the landscape, their cheers mixing with a group of enthusiastic children at the nearby playground. The Sun shines peacefully overhead, lying comfortably between the passing clouds that leave just enough blue uncovered to gaze at an unbound sky with, and the grass welcomes warmly beneath, transferring its verdance to the girl resting upon it.

Enchanted, Sayo eventually closes her eyes and lets the breeze wash over her face, breathing in and out.

...

...

"I-I'm sorry I'm late!"

"...Ah."

She blinks. And her mind lifts from its calm settlement into a skipping dove, when her eyes fall upon the person she's been expecting.

An electric bolt, running at just the right current through the heart. "Maya."

"By the time I'd finished the last song, it was already 1:15..." A pause for breath. "...Gah, I'm really sorry, honestly!"

"It's alright. You're still a minute early, actually," Sayo responds. "How was the karaoke?"

"It was great! Aya and PAREO are really invigorating to be around... and they make me feel a little more confident in myself, too."

"I see. I feel a similar way around Ako and Ran, I must admit."

"It's nice when we have our support networks, isn't it?"

Maya sits down next to her, leaning their arms together. What once quickened her heart now slows it to a wondrous slumber, every bit as warm.

"Do you have the picnic with you?"

Sayo nods, fishing out a basket from her backpack. "It's in here. Lisa helped me prepare it, though. There were some things I had trouble making on my own, humiliatingly."

"Ahaha... that's more crafty than I've been," Maya responds. "I just got us some veggie sticks like usual."

She smiles, wrapping her hand around Maya's. "Thank you. I hardly mind if you didn't make anything; I can always appreciate what's efficient and practical."

"Y-you'd know all about that, wouldn't you. You're always efficient at getting into my heart!"

.

...

...HHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggggggghhh

"A-ahahuehehe... I guess that was a little too corny, huh?" 

She could probably see how hard Maya's blushing right now if her own eyes weren't shut tight from embarrassment. "Unfair is a better way of wording it."

"Huehheheee~."

Somehow, she gets over it eventually. Though she's not certain if her heartbeat will slow down again, even as they begin to eat. Hopefully it doesn't lead to indigestion...

"Ohhh!!! I didn't even realise you brought your guitar with you!"

Sayo smiles, placing her case onto the picnic blanket. "And a miniature amp, too. I thought you might like a similar setup to last time."

"Ehehehue... I certainly won't complain if we do that. Should we?"

"Definitely."

She plugs the amp in and leans back against the tree. Maya joins her and rests on her shoulder, wearing an expression so enchantingly at peace she can't even look at her guitar as she tunes it.

Amidst the chirping birds and their warming breaths, a quiet melody plays. Phrases resound and take their hearts into the flow, the hours passing by.

\---

...

...I-it's... 15 minutes until 4pm.

It's time!

It's. I-it's time.

It sure is time!

...Definitely is time.

"Ako?"

Oh god. The supposedly homely and all-loving storefront of Hazawa Coffee h-has never looked so intimidating to the Demon Princess. Suddenly, all the simple events of the day, all her idle merriment and celebration... it all fades into the background, challenging Ako Udagawa with a pressure that cannot be described by her... well, her meagre vocabulary!

"Ako... are you gonna... be okay?"

"O-of course I will! Why wouldn't I be?" Ako is most definitely not sweating. "I'm about to, uh. Con... conveen? Convern? Convern with my brethren! My power will be p-powerful!!!"

Okay, why IS she sweating, actually? She's just gonna be, like. Meeting other trans people! That's all there is to it! Everyone's gonna be chatting over tea and cake regarding, like...

...uh...

...okay, actually, she doesn't know what they're gonna chat about. She kind of arranged this meeting on impulse. Is that why she's feeling weird? "Ggrgrggrhhhrrhhh."

"Are you scared?" Rinrin asks. "I... know how it feels, when you can't add something to a conversation..."

"I-I have plenty I can talk with them about, though, right? ...Actually, do I?"

"Well... sometimes, it just feels like there isn't. Even if there is. That's how it is for me, at least," Rinrin says. "If it helps, Sayo will be here soon. You can... always rely on her, if you're feeling anxious."

"Y-yeah. You're right! My dark brainworms will probably be purged soon enough." Ako slaps her cheeks to try and dispel them. "You sure you don't wanna join, Rinrin?"

"I'm... okay with leaving now. Talking with other transgender people is... important to you, right?"

"That doesn't mean you're not welcome. You're really understanding; if anyone's scared by you, I can always reassure them!"

"Thank you, Ako. But... I don't think you should be required to have me, either."

She blinks. "Fwahahaha. I see..." Pose! "So, some quests provide different rewards when completed solo. I shall take this dark challenge, then!"

"Fufufu."

Well, it's already provided one reward; Rinrin's smile is really cute!

"Good luck, Ako. If you have any problems... you can call me, okay?"

"You got it!" She runs forth and gives Rinrin a kiss on the cheek. "See you later!"

YES!!! Rinrin gave her a little kiss back! 

Okay, she DEFINITELY has enough energy now, right? Turning around, the Demon Princess strides into Hazawa Coffee and waves at a most shining associate. "Hiya, Tsugumi! The Dark Lord is here!"

"Hiya, Ako!" Tsugumi directs her to a larger table at the corner. "I've set it all up. There's some free cake, but everything else will need to be paid for. Oh, and Sayo said you couldn't have hot chocolate, so... I got you iced tea. Sorry..."

"Gah!" Iced TEA? Unbelievable; who would dare control what she chooses to consume? "...Uh, I mean, thanks a lot. I'll wait for the others to arrive!"

"Let me know if there's anything you want to order!"

She takes her seat at the table's throne (well, it's identical to the other chairs, but it's the thought that counts). It's 3:50pm. Now, she waits... and takes begrudged sips of this accursed substitute concoction. Thanks a bunch Sayo, you big ol' meanie.

...

...

...

...Tick.

Tock.

Ummm... aren't a lot of her friends the type to arrive early? I-it's not a bad thing that she's the only one here so far, right?

Okay, look. Some people in the group chat will definitely show up to this. They've gotta! Would they really turn down the offer to join such a fabled gathering? A dark, coalescence of power, where they, um...

...Actually, what are they gonna do? Just chill? 

Uh.

...I-it's fine, she'll think about that later! She's just operating on instinct right now. And hey, people will definitely show up; Sayo'll probably be there on the dot, as per usual! Not to mention, Ran's also- 

-oh crap, she forgot to ask Ran if she'd come! Is Ran not gonna show up?! She DID leave the chat on read...

Agh! Who else does she even know who's trans?!

Tick. 

Tock.

Oooooo... she's got a bad feeling about this now...

Ako takes a quick selfie and sends it to the group chat, just in case they thought it was some kind of fake message. Just in case. Then, she bores holes into the looming doorways of Hazawa Coffee for the next million painful seconds.

...Wait, she just took a selfie? Why?

...Wait, why not? Why shouldn't she?

~~It's because she looks ugly as hell, that's why.~~

"..."

...The surroundings darken. Her stomach tightens. Slowly but surely, her mind starts wondering how this all happened to begin with. Wondering what on earth she was thinking. Wondering what she was looking for in the first place.

What if she's in over her head? 

Who calls a 'meeting' like this? What is she, a child? She probably looks embarrassing to the others, trying to set this thing up. Hell, maybe she's even making the trans people in the Girls' Band chat look like outcasts, calling them to this 'exclusive' meeting and not inviting anyone else. Would they really appreciate it, Ako? Or would they just be...

...creeped out by it?

Ugh. Now she can't stop looking at her own selfie... she doesn't look weird in it, does she? Maybe it's gonna make everyone more likely to stay away from her. Like, is she cool? Does she look welcoming in it? Or does she look like she's trying too hard? D-does she look safe to be around? It's not normally the kind of thing she thinks about, but... it's just... there's SOMETHING that's bothering her about her appearance in this picture. Maybe it's the skull hairclip, or the little spiked necklace she has, or the Fabled Ring of the Grim Reaper on her finger... for some reason, those accessories _stick out_ to her right now. They just don't fit in, from her point of view. Why?

Agh, there's all these weird questions in her head, and she doesn't know why! 

No more bad thoughts, Ako. Let's cast a spell to purge them. Flood ALL the negativity in your brain away by using one of your... 

...Uh, nevermind. She can't even say 'dark powers' now without feeling... _gross._

_Wrong,_ somehow. 

Argh, forget about everything, then! Stop dwelling on this! Follow your instincts and just, uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Stare VERY intensely at the cafe's entrance. D-don't think about anything else, and don't look at the time. Let's just see who shows up!

...

...

...

...Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

To-

ARGH, she's never been good at keeping her mind still!

Okay, just, hypothetically; if someone enters and sees Ako, what are they gonna think of her? If it's Ran or Sayo, nothing bad'll happen, yeah, but she would IDEALLY like a few more people to show up. A-assuming there ARE other trans people in the girls' band chat. There are, right? She remembers Sayo mentioning a few people before. Okay, so, if, hypothetically, there IS someone else, and they walk through the door and see Ako, what are they gonna think of her? Like, does she LOOK like the sort of person who'd host a... what'd Tsugumi call it? A safe space? Yeah, a safe space! Does she look like the kinda girl who'd host a safe space for trans people? ...Wait, what WOULD someone who hosts it look like? Would they have two skull hairclips instead of one? Or zero instead? Maybe having zero would make her look cooler? Or is looking cool not the goal here? Is she supposed to look cool? Maybe pretty instead? Serene? Graceful? Or bossy? Or-

...N-n-n-no, it's okay! 'Cool' is just her style! It's what she reps. Nothing wrong with that... there's no reason for her to think she looks creepy-

"Rinrin, help..."

She slowly starts to curl in. There's a headache pounding, growing, stopping her from reasoning anything out. There's a fog brewing itself in her body.

But then, a flicker.

Ako bolts up from her seat, noticing a silhouette approaching the entrance of the cafe. I-is someone arriving? Are they here for the meetup?? She doesn't know!!! 

She immediately closes her eyes and hides her face behind her hands. All she can do now is wait and find out.

...

...

...Crrrrreak

The bells ring.

...

She can hear the visitor approaching.

...

"Good afternoon~! I'm here for the sanctimonious gathering of a sanctuary!"

...Gulp.

Ako lowers her hands from her face... and finds-

-

....Whoa.

WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

The fog in her mind clears immediately.

TOO quickly, even. Now she's having like, a horde of different thoughts at once, racing, bursting from the seams, transfixed. There's so many things to process! She points at her visitor and blurts out the first that comes to mind: "PAREO! You're so cool! You're an angel!"

"I'm delighted to hear that," PAREO bows. "Quite the sudden compliment, though!"

"I-i-i-it's just, there's like 3 million things I didn't realise until now! You and I are Angel and Demon! We're fated adversaries!" Another brainwave runs through her. "A-a-and! I... I didn't realise... even with the hair colours and everything! I'm dumb!"

PAREO chuckles. "Not to worry! You'd be surprised at how many people think I'm cis despite that."

"I'm really sorry, honest! I don't know how it didn't occur to me," she responds. "But thanks for showing up. To be honest, I was a little worried nobody would."

"I can imagine that. I think you're rather brave, Miss Ako." 

R-really? That implies she had a reason to be scared, right? Hm... she still can't figure out why she was so anxious about this meeting in the first place... 

...honestly, what the heck IS a 'meeting', anyway...?

"Ah, is Ako okay instead of Miss Ako?"

"Oh! Of course. We're already friends in my book!" The two of them grin. "Though if you're in a rivalrous mood, Demon Princess works too," she continues, striking a pose. "Welcome to the divine banquet; we've got cake and everything. Have a seat!"

"Gladly!" 

Sitting down on the direct opposite end of the table, Ako's newfound nemesis (the cool kind, not the meanie kind like Sayo) immediately takes a bite of the strawberry cake.

"Oh, wow. This is really tasty..."

"Right?! Tsugu makes the best cakes! I already ate mine."

"Hehe. Admittedly, I love sweets a lot. I sometimes sneak in some pastries to Madam CHU2 before rehearsal begins."

She's so... like... cool! It's kinda hard to describe without Rinrin's vocab to help, but PAREO just has this aura. It's all graceful, and whooshy, and ba-bum! Not like, the loud ba-bum, but more the serene one, y'know? Like, it's not physically powerful, but you're really struck by it when she greets you. It puts a smile on your face when you're around her!

"Oh, did you buy that skull hairclip today? It suits you perfectly."

"Whoa! How'd you know?"

"You were wearing it in that selfie you took a few minutes ago. I haven't seen it on you before, so I thought you were showing it off."

Perception 100! "Yeah, yeah. I bought it when I went shopping with my demonic companion Rinrin today!"

"That makes two of us! I went out shopping with the heavenly Miss Aya Maruyama today."

Dang, she's friends with the angelic idols of Pastel*Palettes too. This girl's GOOD. "Is that where you got your, um.... t-that shirt? It looks really c-cool!"

"Oh, no. This outfit you see was given to me directly by my beloved Madam CHU2~!"

Oh my GOD, she ALSO has someone who gives her outfits! ...They're both spoilt rotten!

"But Aya did pick out these for me today." Pareo moves a lock of hair aside to reveal... angel-winged earrings! Whoa! "I'll treasure them for the rest of my life~."

"Those look really cool too!" She manages. "I-I dunno why I thought the shirt was new... I thought it might've been a slightly different colour than the usual one or something."

PAREO gasps. "Oh my god! If I asked Madam CHU2 to make these in multiple colours, then my clothes could match any Pastel*Palettes member! You've given me an excellent idea, Ako!"

H-h-has she? She was just spitballing. "B-but of course," she blusters. "All a part of my demonic, um. Plan!"

The bell rings.

"Oh!" She turns towards the doorway. "Someone else's here- RAN! You showed up!"

"Keep it down. You're gonna distract Tsugumi's customers," the red-streaked emissary states, heaving her bag off from her shoulders. "I'm surprised I got here before Sayo." 

"Well, it's only 3:59pm."

"She really does show up on-the-dot, huh?" Ran points her thumb behind her. "I brought Aya too, by the way."

"Hiya!"

Ako nearly jumps in her seat as a swath of pink pokes out behind the line of black. W-wait... does that mean Aya's also...???

"You're visiting too?!" PAREO squeals. "Ohhh my god, this is a dream come true!"

"N-not too loud, if that's okay." Aya removes her yellow-rimmed sunglasses and winks. "Idols have to be incognito!"

"Oh, right...! My apologies...!"

"Y-y-you're..." Ako rocks her chair back and forth. "Aya, are you a-another dark walker?!"

"...Dark walker? Oh!" She smiles. "Yup~."

SERIOUSLY? "I had no idea! That's amazing!!!"

"I didn't know either at first," PAREO says. "But she figured out I was a dark walker instantly, and then she told me she was too! She said my outfit looked amazing, too... it was one of the best moments of my life!"

"N-not too loud! But, ehehe... I look great, right?"

"Of course!"

"You bet!"

"You look boppin☆!"

Aya fistpumps and hisses a very quiet 'yes!'. "You two are so nice...!"

"Feel free to have a seat!" Dang; her mortal nemesis PAREO beat her to the hospitality punch. "By the way, Mi- I mean, Aya. May I ask how you found Miss Ran? You were walking into this place together."

"Ah..." Ran scratches her head. "I went to karaoke with Hina earlier. Aya was there practicing on her own, so we joined her."

"A-ahaha... felt more like Hina just wanted to watch me mess up," Aya sighs. "It was a little after you left, PAREO. I really enjoyed it, though; Ran has such a deep singing voice. You were enchanting!"

Ran's face goes redder than big sis's hair. "...Thanks."

Aya giggles. 

"Oh, wait," Ako asks. "Does that mean Hina's here too?"

"...I don't think so?" Aya tilts her head. "She was walking here with us, but I don't see her now."

"Yeah, she disappeared duri-" Ran frowns. "Nevermind. She's behind you, Ako."

...Wait, wh-

-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA "Holy crap!" 

There's a Hina hiding behind her!!!

"Surprise☆! Ahahaha!" The FIEND stands up and pulls open the seat next to Aya. "That reaction of yours was totally worth it, Ako!"

The bell rings.

"Language, Ako. And Hina, antics like that are only going to disturb the customers."

"Welcome, my companion of darkness!" Ako poses, gesturing as Sayo puts a bag down and pulls up a chair beside her. "Uh, sorry for the swear word."

"I'll forgive it this once. Hina inspires that kind of reaction," Sayo responds. "Maya will also be here shortly."

"Heck yeah!" Ako fist- PAUSES mid fistpump. "Wait, are you saying Maya's also-"

Sayo immediately hushes her and lowers to a whisper. "Show some tact. Aya and Maya cannot publicly reveal that they are transgender."

"...Oh." 

Ohh. 

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh... she avoided a landmine by using 'dark walker' around Aya instead, huh? W-whew.

"It's okay, Ako!" Aya says. "To be honest, not a lot of people actually recognise me in public anyway."

"They certainly should, Miss- I mean, Aya! I know I always will!"

The bell rings.

"Sorry I'm late!" Maya stumbles in with a hefty box. "Got distracted by a sale at a guitar shop. I'll be here soon!"

Ako watches, transfixed as Maya talks with Tsugumi about where to put the package. This is... 7 people total, isn't it? She was expecting like 3 at most! Maybe even less, considering Ran left her on read; worst case scenario, it could've just been her and Sayo.

Actually, everyone left her on read except for Tsugumi and Sayo, huh? Part of her briefly dwells on how she might've known who was showing up if she hadn't labelled the message as 'top-secret'. But getting surprised like this is really cool too! It's like how she felt when Sayo first told her; all whizzy and ka-boom whoosh! Ako leans over and whispers to Sayo; "You never told me Maya was trans too...!"

"It's up to her whether she wants to tell people. The same applies for you."

"Even when we're all trans?"

Hina butts her head into the conversation. "I'm not! I just came here because I thought it'd be fun~."

"L-let's lower the volume, Hina," Maya says.

"Okay! So, what'd you call this meeting for, Ako? You made it sound so fancy!"

.

...Everyone's looking at her now. "...Gack."

"Gack?" Hina tilts her head. "Is that a person?"

"I-I mean!" Okay, uh, what'd she say in the text again? "Uh... I hosted this gathering for people who wanted to, um. Discuss their, uh... transgender feelings."

"Like what☆?"

"Euphoria is a great example! Expressing yourself the way you want to is a lovely experience."

Thank you, Angel Princess PAREO! "Y-yeah, like that," Ako adds. "For example, I, um... felt really cool when I got a new outfit in NFO today!"

"Ah, that's the videogame you play, right?"

Gurk! She forgot only two people here play that game! "Y-yeah! ...I know it's not very universal, but it was cool for me."

"I think a lot of our experiences aren't actually all that universal," Maya says. "But that's nice in its own way, don't you think?"

Ako blinks. "...Oh. I didn't realise that, actually. A lot of my experiences are kinda because of videogames..."

"...Does that mean you were calling this meeting to talk about videogames?" Ran asks.

"U-urk! No!"

"Then why?"

Ako freezes.

"Ah, sorry. I wasn't trying to sound..." Ran looks away. "Nevermind. It doesn't really matter if we're just hanging out here, anyway."

But it's a good question. 

Why _did_ she arrange this? Honestly, Sayo's enough of an indicator that her dark path isn't the same as everyone else's. She probably knew that already, right? And she definitely isn't just trying to talk about NFO (as fun as that is). So why?

"Is it alright if I answer in Ako's place?"

Everyone looks at PAREO.

"To be honest..." she says, "when I first learned me and Madam CHU2 were the same, I started visiting her daily. I felt... safe around her. I wanted to be around someone who understood that part of me, as much as I could. Because I'd never had the opportunity to do that before." 

She looks at Ako. 

"It's validating to know when you have friends who share your experiences, isn't it?"

...

...Oh, wow.

Sheesh. She... do you ever just know somebody's right, even when you haven't realised it yourself yet? That's kinda embarrassing, almost. "Y-yeah," Ako responds. "I... sorry, I know it's a little selfish of me, but... I just wanted to see how many others there were."

Sayo makes a relieved sigh. "To be honest, I'd figured that from the beginning." 

"Y-you did?!"

"Yes. But I thought it might be rude to state it outright," she continues. "...If it relieves you, I do not think it is a selfish desire."

"Hear, hear!" Aya adds. "There's nothing wrong with wanting trans-" She gulps and looks around. "Uh, there's nothing wrong with wanting fellow dark walkers as friends!"

"Seconding that! Just like how us idols have to stick together too."

"Y-you're sure I haven't done anything wrong?"

She looks around at the table- 

-No. At her divine banquet of dusk-channelling companions. They're all nodding in response. It's lifting her up, in a way... "...It's really okay?" She asks. "S-sorry, I didn't really have anything in mind for this meeting other than... seeing who else there was. I'm not wasting your time, am I?"

"There's always other things we can talk about," Ran says. "Honestly, that's kind of what I was planning to begin with."

"B-but! I feel really bad now! Aya and Maya even risked being outed to the public and everything!"

"They knew the risk. And they came here because they trusted you and Tsugumi, didn't they?"

.

Maya smiles. "Couldn't word it any better myself."

"These people all came here because they considered you a safe presence to be around," Sayo says beside her. "They have reaped the same benefits from this gathering as you, in a sense."

"...Really? Really really?"

PAREO nods and gives her an angelic smile. "We may have only talked previously as band rivals, Ako, but I think you're a wonderfully positive presence! You even called me your friend 2 minutes after I arrived today."

"You guys..."

She might cry a little bit. That's fine, right?

"...Thanks a bunch. I really mean it!" She gives them her best grin. "By the mind of the Dark Lord, I deem... that you're all the coolest!"

"No, that's you, Ako!" Aya says. "I think 'cool' is like the centerpiece of your trans-" She stops again. "I-I mean! Your dark walker identity!"

Hina immediately smirks at her. "Ahaha~! How many times are you gonna botch it? You're supposed to be incognito!"

"Uuuuu..."

Hehe. The centerpiece, huh... it's like her job in an MMO!

Oh, hold on. In that case, what classes would everyone be? She can absolutely see Aya as a healer, or maybe a bard... oh, no, PAREO's definitely the healer! ...Or a tank, maybe? PAREO definitely looks like she could summon barriers or something. Maybe they're both healers? Ran's definitely a DPS class, though... ranged or melee could probably work. Actually, she might not mind bard either... oooooh, she and Aya could both be bards, maybe! And then Sayo could be the tank, and the Demon Princess herself is magic DPS; oh, maybe she can be a necromancer and PAREO can be a sorceror! 

Maya's right. It really is cool; they're all trans, but they can still be anything they want to be!

"Well, I'll probably head out now," Hina waves. "This meeting's supposed to be swooshin' for you lot instead of me, right? For people who thought they were boys and then realised they were girls."

"Well, that's what we all seem to be. So far, at least," Maya responds. "But any kind of transgender person is welcome here!"

"Eh? What do you mean 'any kind'?"

Everyone looks at Hina. "She means that people of any gender identity are welcome here as long as they're transgender," Sayo states.

"Wait. I thought transgender just meant like, realising you're a girl," Hina says. "Do you not have to be a girl?"

Ran shakes her head. "Nope."

...

...There's some really intense sparks going through Hina's eyes. "So I can just, like. Stop being a girl when I'm not feeling it?"

"Yeah."

"Boppin! Could I switch back to being a girl when I AM feeling it?"

"...Yeah, probably."

"There are plenty of people who change their minds down the line, or even alternate between genders," Sayo adds. "There is no clear answer. Or binary, for that matter. You are not limited to being either a boy or a girl."

Hina immediately sits back down. "Tell me more☆!"

.

...Ohoho. Wait a second.

"E-eh?" Aya says. "What do you mean?"

"I wanna know more! I wanna know if I can swoosh around my gender! And there's no better place than this group to learn about it, right?"

Ohohoho... 

...ohohoHO! It looks like this gathering may have found a new purpose! 

That just makes it all the better!

She's got a new quest to rise to. "But of course! Ask the grand council anything you wish about the path of the dark walker!"

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Transdori Week, everyone! Sorry that my contribution arrived so late; work has been significantly nerfing me. Hope this was enjoyable enough to make up for it; and remember that nothing invalidates who you are.


End file.
